Clamp connector tool



Aug. 5, 1952 F. HEUER' `ETAL CLAMP CONNECTOR Toor."

2" SHEETS- SHEET 1 Filed Nov. 14, 1950 Aug. 5, 1952 F. HEUER ETAL CLAMPCONNECTOR Toor.N

Filed Nov. 14., 1950 Patented ug. `5', 1952 1 1 TUM-TED? STATES ArENT 1oFF CLAMPV CONNECTQR frooLf Y Louis F. Heuer. Stanley J.-Heue r, and Y,e Donald C. Heuer, Portland, Qreg.

' 'Application November l nector assembled about the two conductorswith' the other hand and wrench then applied to the threaded screwelement of the connector forfastening the same in place; Since theclampconnectorv unit. is relatively small, it is diicult to manipulateVthe same with insulated gloves so that ytheyelectrician isv inclined toremove his gloves and make the connection with bare handstherebypexposing himself to shock.y u

It .isageneral objectl of` the presentv invention,

therefore,V` to provide a new and improved linemens tool for use inmaking electrical vconnections with clamp type fastener devices which issafe( and easy to use.

More specically, it is an object of y the present the appended claims.v

invention to provide a linemens tool comprising l an insulated handlehaving a holder mounted thereon for.' removably receivingl a clamp typeconnector unt, the tool'including a wrench whereby the connector nay. betightened after the' same has been assembled aroundl the electrif n calconductors to be connected together.

I naccordance with the illustrated embodiment,

the invention comprises an elongated, insulated handle having a headmember rotatably mounted on'o'ne endvof the handle, the head memberdefininga rectangular pocket adapted cooperatively to; receive' and holdtherewithin a clamp type connector. A socket wrench element xedlysecuredAV to the holder extends upwardly'through the headmember and intoone'end of the pocket, withthewreneh 'socket so* arranged ascooperatively to engage the headfof the screw element of the clampconnector. In using the toolythe clamp connector is inserted intotheholder pocket and the screw head engaged by the wrench socket.

The clampconnectoris then assembled aboutthe electrical conducto-rs tobe fastened'together and y which may readily be accomplished bymanipula-f tion of the tool handlefwith a single hand. e --Aiter theconnector has been thus assembled, the handle may be'twistedrotatablyabout its longitudinal axis to' -rotate'thesocket wrench while the headmember'is stationarily retained bythe 4, 1950,-'se'ria1N-19a672' y nnotaires. (c1. erf-53) f illustrating .the step of'removalof the toolfrom theclampunit and-conductors.' J1 Y electrical conductors therebydrawing vthe clamp unit tight. After the clampunit has been/tightened,the tool may readily be removedfrilrnthe: conductors and clamp unit allwithout neces-M sitating direct contact by the hands! with -anyj`electrically conductive part. 1 y..

For a consideration of what ris believed'nov'elf and inventive,attention is directed to the viollowing description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing while the features of novelty. willbepointed out-'with greater -parti'c'ulaifity-.inr

Inthe drawing: Y y i Fig. l is a frontelevation illustratingjthe toollin 'accordance with 'the preferred embodiment Fig. 4 is a top view ofthe tool;` f Fig. 5' is an enlarged view in perspective illus-- vtrating`a clamp connector unit Vfor usewith i tool;

one conductor assembled in the lclamp connector held by the tool andabout Ato be connectedvto fa second conductor; Fig. 7 is a frontelevational"viewillustrating a further step of the usage ofthe tooland'showing the clamp connector assembled "about both conductors and'inreadiness for tightening; fr -g Fig. 8 isa fragmentary, sectional viewtkenY alongathe line v8-'8 'of Fig. '7; {fi Fig. 9fis a fragmentary.'ide'elevational-view y showing lthe clamp connector inthe tightenedcondition; and 1 f f l. Fig. 10i is a fragmentaryl sideelevational-view'- Referring now to'. the" draw1ng,jtl:ie I'inventionljcomprises an elongated handle lil of s'uitabl'e'in-j sulating material,the handle being provided with relatively deep, longitudinal ites `IIvwhereby faf firm grip may be obtained upon'the handlefor effectingrotation thereof Y Mounted Yin the upper f end of the-handle l0 isa headmember-l2 havinl a. cylindrical base portion l3^extending dow wardlyinto a cooperating cylindricalrecessl'i'j-j provided inthe upper endofthe handlel l0: head member l2 is rotatably movable 'relativeto' thehandlev IB about ana'xis extending longitudif nally of thehandleQMA-rectangular pocket I4 provided in the upper end of the headmemberfll.'

the pocket vbeing openen one side of the tool, and

' Fig. 6 is a view illustrating the tool in usefwitl erable heights, thetool may be mounted by means of a suitable adapter on the end of a pole.

It will be seen from the description given, that by using the tool ofthe present invention, a tap connection may readily be made to a liveconductor without requiring the electrician to hold, or touch directlywith his hands, either of the conductors, the clamp connector unit, orany conductive part of the tool itself. The tool, therefore, eliminatesthe hazard formerly inherent in making connections of this type, andalso simplies the work which was more or less awkward to perform withconventional tools.

Having described the invention in what is considered to be a preferredembodiment, it is desired that it be understood that the speciic detailsshown are merely illustrative and that the invention may be carried outin other ways.

f We claim:

1. A clamp connector tool comprising an elongated handle, an elongatedhead member mounted on one end of said handle and extendinglongitudinally therefrom, said head member including a pair of spacedapart parallel side wall iianges and an outer endwall flange defining arectangular pocket for cooperatively receiving and retaining a connectorunit including a screw element and with said screw element extending inthe longitudinal direction of said handle and with the head of saidscrew element facing the adjacent end of said handle, a socket wrench, astem fixedly secured to said handle and extending into said head member,said socket wrench being fixedly secured to the outer end of said sternand extending into said pocket and facing said endwall, said socketwrench being adapted for cooperatively engaging the head of said screwelement, said head member being slidably and rotatably mounted upon saidstem between said socket wrench and said handle and a spring operativelyarranged between said head member and said handle for resilientlybiasing said head member towardsaid handle.

2. A clamp connector tool comprising a handle, a head member including acylindrical base portion, a cylindrical recess extending into. one endof said handle for cooperatively receiving the cylindrical base portionof said head member, said cylindrical portion being freely rotatablewithin said recess, the outer end portion of said head member includinga pair of spaced-apart parallel side wall flanges and an outer end wallnange dening a rectangular pocket for cooperatively receiving andretaining a connector unit including a screw element and with said screwelement extending in the longitudinal direction of said handle and withthe headY of said screw element facing the adjacent end of said handle,a stem ixedly secured to said handle and extending coaXially throughsaid recess and said cylindrical portion, a socket Wrench secured to theouter end of said stern and adapted cooperatively to engage the head ofsaid screw element, said head member being longitudinally slidable uponsaid stem, a compression spring arranged about said stem within saidcylindrical base portion, the opposite ends of said spring bearingagainst opposing shoulders provided respectively upon said stem and uponsaid cylindrical base portion whereby said head member is biasedresiliently in the direction toward said handle.

tion, a cylindrical recess of said handle for 3. A clamp connector toolcomprising a handle, a head member including a cylindrical base portion,a cylindrical recess extending into one end of said handle forcooperatively receiving the cylindrical base portion of said headmember,

said cylindrical portion within said recess, the outer end head memberincluding a being freely rotatable portion of said pair of spaced-apartparallel side wall fianges and an outer end wall flange defining arectangular pocket for cooperatively receiving and retaining a connectorunit including a screw element and with said screw element extending inthe longitudinal direction of said handle and with the head of saidscrew element facing the adjacent end of said handle, a stem xedlysecured to said handle and extending coaxially through said recess andsaid cylindrical portion, secured to the outer end of said cooperativelyto engage 1 element, said head member being longitudinally slidable uponsaid stem,

a socket wrench stem and adapted the head of said screw arranged aboutsaid stem within said cylindrical base portion, the opposite ends ofsaid spring bearing against opposing shoulders provided respectivelyupon said stem and upon said cylindrical base portion whereby said headmember is biased resiliently in the direction toward said handle, saidhead member including a ange portion extending laterally upwardly beyondthe adjacent edge of said handle and defining an abutment for manualengagement for shifting said head member longitudinally of said stemagainst the force of said spring.

4. A clamp connector tool comprising a handle, a head member including acylindrical base porextending into one end cooperatively receiving thecylindrical base portion of said head member, said cylindrical baseportion being freely rotatable within said recess, the outer end of saidhead member including a pair of spaced-apart parallel side wall flangesand an outer end wall iiange dening a rectangular pocket forcooperatively receiving and retaining a connector unit including saidscrew element extending in the longitudinal direction of said handle andwith the head of said screw element facing the adjacent end of saidhandle, a stem fixedly secured to said handle and extending coaxallythrough said recess and said cylindrical portion,

a socket wrench secured at the outer end of said stem and adapted toengage cooperatively the head of said screw element, and meansresiliently biasing said head member toward said handle whereby saidsocket wrench is urged into said pocket to engage said screw elementhead.

The following references are of record in the LOUIS F. HEUER. STANLEY J.HEUER. DONALD C. HEUER.

REFERENCES CITED le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

